RUSH: Patrick in Posen, Michigan, I’m glad you waited. You’re up next, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Hello, Rush. Glad to talk to you.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: I’m 59 years old. Right now today, I would gladly give up any claims to my future Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, if the government in turn would stop taxing me on that stuff today so every penny I make from this going forward is all mine to keep, not theirs.
RUSH: Well, here’s the problem. Are you gonna also pledge to take care of your retirement?
CALLER: That is correct.
RUSH: You are. Okay, what happens when you don’t?
CALLER: I guess I’ll become somebody living in the streets.
RUSH: No, because, you see, our society is not gonna let that happen.
CALLER: Well… (chuckles)
RUSH: We’re a compassionate society.
CALLER: I understand what you’re saying there, but perhaps we have to take responsibility, and change our society. Because what we’re doing today isn’t really gonna be working ahead in another 50 years, that’s for darn sure.
RUSH: John, do you really realize how revolutionary an idea you’re proposing? You’re actually suggesting…
CALLER: Oh, many people have suggested before. Give us the opt-out of Social Security. Let us take care of ourselves. It’s been said before.
RUSH: Do you realize how radical that is? You are suggesting — you are asking, in fact — for the opportunity to take care of yourself?
CALLER: That is correct.
RUSH: Well, easy for you to say.
CALLER: Yeah, that’s true, but, well, somebody’s gotta do it. (chuckles)
RUSH: That’s what people always say to me when I suggest the homeless go get a job: “Well, easy for you to say.” (interruption) Well, I know. Snerdley is arguing with me here about we let people live in the streets. Democrat regimes do allow people to live in the streets. They kick ’em out of the shelters, kick ’em out of the institutions and move ’em into the gutters. Democrat regimes do. It’s called “fairness,” but as a compassionate society, we don’t do it. I plan on taking care of myself. (interruption) Don’t smirk, Snerdley! It has been a career objective. I get really bummed out. Okay, call me lucky, I don’t care. If you want to call me lucky, fine, but I have achieved it. By the way, who knows? I could lose everything at some point. You never know.
But my career objective has been that I don’t want to have to depend on anybody or anything I need, and most of what I want — certainly not what I want — and I’ve been able to pull it off. I mention this to people and they say, “Well, yeah, you’re not very typical.” Okay, maybe not very typical, but why impugn that? “Well, easy for you! You can do it!” Yeah, but it’s been a long road. This guy wants to take care of himself if we’ll let him opt out. But, you see, here’s the thing, Patrick. As far as the left is concerned it really isn’t about you taking care of yourself, otherwise they’d let you out. If that’s what this were all about — if this were really about putting less strain on government agencies, government resources — they’d gladly let you opt out. But, no, it’s not about that. It’s about control and the transfer of wealth, the redistribution of income. They are not about… And to every person that becomes self-sufficient and self-reliant is a huge threat to the Democrat Party. They’re not going to let you do it.
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